Camille Naredo

Team Khalifa win the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship. Handout/Dwine dela Cruz via NBTC

Team Khalifa win the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship

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NBTC

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1740978781409DSC03263-Enhanced-NR.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Team Khalifa win the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship. Handout/Dwine dela Cruz via NBTC"/>Team Khalifa win the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship. Handout/Dwine dela Cruz via NBTC</div>MANILA -- Team Khalifa remains the standard for teams in Cebu as it defended its title in the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship.Team Khalifa dominated University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguar Cubs with a wire-to-wire 75-54 win Sunday at Bacolod Tay Tung High School in Negros Occidental.A 25-6 first quarter set the tone of the game and the defending champions never looked back, eventually leading by as many as 32 points. The blowout nature of the game allowed Mythical Team member Johncel Borjal to take a backseat, putting up just nine points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play.Team Khalifa went a perfect 7-0 in the tournament.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/2/19/cebu-s-khalifa-usj-r-rules-2024-nbtc-visayas-regionals-1219">FROM 2024: Cebu&#x27;s Khalifa-USJ-R rules 2024 NBTC Visayas Regionals</a></div>Lloyd Amadeo Gutang collected 10 points, six boards, four steals, and two assists, Jerome Arboiz also chipped in 10 points and four rebounds, and Jay Ver Palco got 10 points and two boards in the commanding conquest for the boys of former Arellano big man and NBTC alumnus Julius Cadavis.Mythical Team member Kyle Matthew Barrieta kept the fire burning for USJ-R in the losing effort as he topped his side with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.Aside from the crown, the finalists have already secured their slots in the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM Supermalls and Playtime Cares as the Visayas representatives.John Loyd Martinez also turned heads and snared the Regional Most Outstanding Player honors after powering El Tzino/Davies in the Regional Wildcard phase and into the Nationals.The native of San Enrique, Negros Occidental is the first player to win the top individual award despite not coming from a champion team. He helped his side take the 69-57 victory over Bleachers Roadstar Transit of South Negros, anchoring his crew to the promised land after a sensational 18-point, 8-rebound, 6-steal, and 5-assist performance.Meanwhile, University of Southern Philippines Foundation delivered a 70-60 drubbing of City of Talisay-Notre Dame in the other Regional Wildcard to make it three Cebu teams qualifying to the Nationals.Fritz John Gonzales drilled 20 points on 2-of-5 shooting from deep for the Baby Panthers to cement his place in the Mythical Team, as Raymund Sean Chavez and John Howard Ta-ala chipped in 10 each.Burj Gabriel Lapu-os kept the fight going for Talisay with his 19 points and eight rebounds, while Jay Vincent Salazar and Khent Vincent Arriesgado got 12 points apiece to make up for the silent night for Mythical Team member Gino dela Puerta, who only scored four points but still grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists in the loss.The last four of the 16 tickets to the National Finals, which is also sponsored by Adidas, Molten, Swish, and JProject, will be given out in the South Luzon Regional Championship to be held on March 16 to 19 in General Trias and Imus, Cavite.

Team Khalifa remains the standard for teams in Cebu as it defended its title in the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship.

Team Khalifa remains the standard for teams in Cebu as it defended its title in the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship.

Team Khalifa still on top, repeats as NBTC Visayas Regional champion

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Team Khalifa still on top, repeats as NBTC Visayas Regional champion

ABS-CBN News

Published March 03, 2025 01:19 PM PHT

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Updated March 20, 2025 06:13 PM PHT

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NBTC Visayas Regional Championship

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University of San Jose-Recoletos

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